Stormy Nights
by MissMidnightMischief
Summary: In early spring, Hogwarts was constantly being showered by storms. And with the rain, each droplet would bring a new spark of love. Much better then summary says, promise! Romance, Fluff, Drama.rated Teen.JPLE, SBOC, RLOC.Marauder era. FINAL CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Stormy Nights  
**_By: MissMidnightMischief  
_**In early spring, Hogwarts was constantly being showered by storms. And with the rain, each droplet would bring a new spark of love.**

Hey everyone! How exciting, my first published story! This is totally finished, and I should be updating every Friday for the next four weeks since there's four chapters: I may write an epilogue or sequel, I have no idea. It depends on the feedback I get from you guys! So please, read, enjoy, and review!

_Disclaimer: I own nothing you know._

* * *

_Stormy Nights_

**Chapter 1**

It was morning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the students of the school were heading down to breakfast. In the midst of those students were Lily Evans and her two best friends, Edie Walker and Hannah Davidson.

"Hurry up, Lils!" Edie said, pulling her long hair into a ponytail. Lily rolled her eyes and caught up to the girls.

"Hey look, it's Remus," Lily said, nudging Hannah in the side. Hannah flushed all the way to the roots of her straight, light brown hair and then strolled over to her boyfriend.

Edie jogged to the table and sat next to Sirius. Hannah sat next to Remus (who was across from Edie) and Lily sat across from James.

"Morning ladies!" James said, grinning cockily. They all rolled their eyes, but replied with a friendly, "Hello."

"Remus, could I borrow your notes about the Dragon War?" Hannah said, buttering some toast.

"Why? I saw you taking notes. Actually, I saw you taking a lot of notes!" Remus replied, laughing.

"Well, it was a really interesting topic, and I wanted to get some more research on it," she said.

"I know! It really was fascinating! I've never heard of such a thing, especially with dragons. The way they fought, though, seemed so advanced!" Remus said excitedly, turning towards Hannah.

"Yeah! They even made weapons – "

Hannah stopped talking as Sirius burst out laughing.

"Umm, can I help you?" Hannah said.

Sirius snorted. "Actually, you can. Since I have a total interest of zero on this topic, could you do me a favor: spare my ears and shut your mouth?" inquired Sirius, nodding between Hannah and Remus.

They simultaneously rolled their eyes and turned to each other, talking in quieter voices.

Sirius grinned and nudged Edie.

"Did you read that article about Puddlemere United in Quidditch Weekly?" he asked. Edie nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it was awesome!" she said, folding her legs underneath her. "I loved all of the background information they told us."

Lily sighed and glanced around the Great Hall. The tall windows leading up to the magical ceiling were glowing with sunlight and she felt slightly sleepy.

Her eyes wandered across the table to James, who was eating waffles.

_James seems so much more…mature, this year!_ Lily thought, smiling slightly. He started to look up and she quickly looked down.

_Wow,_ James thought as he glanced at Lily out of the corner of his eye. _I can't believe how much Lily has changed. She's having a lot more fun, obviously looks better. I'm actually enjoying her company – not that I didn't before… I think I only was around her since I saw her as a challenge. But now I actually want to hang out with her._

"Hey," Sirius nudged James, "come back to earth, mate!"

"Sorry, what were you talking about?" James asked, shaking his head slightly. Sirius chuckled and turned back to Edie.

_I never thought I would think this, but I'm starting to actually like James! But only as a friend, _Lily thought as he joined Edie and Sirius' conversation.

Lily sighed. Suddenly a loud screech – actually, several loud screeches – erupted through the hall as the post came.

Soon after the owls had left, a bell rang through the halls, signaling the end of breakfast.

The six friends, all absorbed in their own thoughts, all departed and headed to their first class.

* * *

"Edie! Jesus, will you slow down?" shouted Sirius as he ran out of the Charms classroom. The tall girl stopped and turned around, a smirk on her face.

"What, Sirius?" she said, laughing as he caught up to her.

He held up a finger, pausing to catch his breath.

"Damn. You're out of shape," Edie remarked.

"Hey. Snuff it."

She grinned.

"Anyway, I wanna show you something. You have break next, right?" he asked her as they started to walk down the corridor.

"Maaayybe. What's it to ya?" Edie replied, grinning.

"Ugh, weren't you listening? I wanna show you something!" groaned Sirius.

"Welll, it depends. What is it and will I even care?" Edie slowed down, turning to the black-haired boy next to her.

"I see you drank your annoying juice this morning. Just shut up and follow me," said Sirius, and he promptly led her down the halls, continuing with their flirtatious banter.

When they finally stopped walking, it was in front of –

A completely blank wall.

"Sirius! What the bloody hell are you trying to show me, the stone work?" cried Edie, whirling on him.

"Easy, easy!" laughed Sirius, raising his hands. "I'm not finished. Just stand here and be quiet for a moment."

Sirius began to pace back and forth through the length of the corridor. Edie stood at the side, glaring at him and tapping her foot. When he finished his third length, however, Edie's mouth opened in a gasp. Right before her eyes, a magnificent door was forming in the blank stretch of wall Sirius had been pacing before. She stepped forward and ran her fingers over the elegant designs, before turning to Sirius in wonder. "What is this place?"

Sirius smirked. "This, my dear, is the Room of Requirement."

Sirius opened the door with an over-exaggerated bow and Edie, snickering slightly, followed him in.

The room wasn't nearly as extravagent as the door, but that made Edie like it all the better.

On one wall was a large fireplace, flames crackling happily in the grate. In front of the fire was a large, lagoon shaped couch that looked as comfortable as clouds and as large as a small bedroom. A high back and fluffy pillows lined the edge. A great window stretched the expanse of one wall, looking over the lake and Forbidden Forest. Great, billowy white curtains framed the window, fluttering in the wind.

"Wow…this is very cool, Sirius. But what exactly is the point? It's just a lounge."

Sirius jumped over to Edie, who had been fingering the pillows. "AH! But it's not just a lounge."

When Edie raised her eyebrow at Sirius, he smirked, before grabbing her hand and sitting her on the couch. She settled back into the pillows as he sat down, before asking, "I still don't see the point. Is it just a place to relax?"

"Hah! So much you have to learn. Make a wish," ordered Sirius.

"Um, what?" Edie asked skeptically.

"Just what I said! Calm your mind and concentrate really hard on that wish," Sirius said with a smile.

Edie looked at Sirius uneasily, before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and –

Before they realized what was happening, Edie and Sirius were suddenly mere inches apart. Edie's eyes shot open and her breath caught, for her mind was lost in those deep, blue-grey eyes.

Before they knew it, they were kissing, kissing like they needed the breath from each other to live. Edie's hands wove into Sirius' thick hair and he had one hand on the back of her neck, the other on the small of her back. They pulled each other closer and leaned gently back onto the couch.

After some time – it could've been minutes, or maybe even hours – they broke apart. Both looked pleased – confused, but pleased. Sirius leaned forward and kissed her again quickly, before asking, "What did you wish?"

Edie seemed to be having trouble finding her voice. Finally, she spoke. "I – I had wished, that we were…closer." At Sirius' smirk, she spoke again quickly, "But not in the physical sense, I meant in our relation – friendship."

She bit her lip and stood up, walking over to the window. Sirius groaned quietly, feeling like his brain was fuzz. It like something was exploding in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what just happened or why it happened or what was going to come from it, but all he knew was that he liked it – a lot.

"Er, well, yeah, this room takes things seriously. Say," he said loudly," I want a glass of pumpkin juice."

Edie turned around just in time to see a glass of creamy orange liquid appear in Sirius' waiting hand. She gasped, and her eyes widened.

"Oh! I think I get it now. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, this room will give it to you!" She sat down next to him on the couch, her eyes gleaming excitedly.

She turned to Sirius, who was staring at her with a smirk playing on his lips. She raised her eyebrow at him, asking, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," he said casually, before slowly putting his hand on hers. "It's just that…what I want, I don't think the room can give it to me."

Edie's other eyebrow shot up as Sirius got up and sat down next to her, his face hovering above hers.

"So, you wanted really billowy curtains and the window?" squeaked Edie, rather uncharacteristically.

"Oh shut up and kiss me," Sirius growled, before taking her face in his. The pair sat back against the couch again, kissing each other breathless until they heard the bell in the distance.

* * *

The inky darkness of night cloaked the grounds of Hogwarts, lit up only by flashes of lightning as a storm began. High in the Gryffindor tower, a girl was stirring. 

Lily's emerald green eyes flew open and she sat up groggily, her dark red hair a mess, looking around for the disturbance that woke her. Next to her four-poster bed, Hannah bolted up, muttering nonsense about pixies and wet gnomes.

"Go back to bed, Hannah," said Lily with a smile. Hannah nodded, her brown hair covering her eyes, before dropping back into the pillows.

When a sound of thunder rolled through the castle, Lily realized that a storm was starting. She felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach and crawled quietly out of bed. Grabbing her wand and her white zip-up, she shoved on her trainers and crept silently out of the dorm.

By the time she reached the grounds, the thunder and lightning had stopped but the rain had picked up to a quicker pace. Lily made her way over to the tree by the lake and sat under it, leaning contently against the trunk.

Lily, absorbed in her thoughts, was barely aware of anything but her and the night storm. So, naturally, she started as she saw a large shadow moving from the wood (not the Forbidden Forest, but the smaller trees on the opposite side of the lake).

Lily jumped up and pulled out her wand, gripping it tightly as her heart thudded in her chest. _How stupid am I, coming out here alone? Some creep could easily come down here and – what __**is**__ that? Wait – is that a – a stag?_

As the stag stopped before her, Lily's eyes widened at its powerful beauty. Its horns were magnificent and large, stretching out in every direction. Its dark coat rippled over its lean muscles, shimmering delicately in the moonlight. It looked like it was staring right at her, almost asking her a question.

"Do you…do you want to sit down?" whispered Lily timidly. As odd as it may be to talk to a stag, somehow she felt that this animal was different…in some way. Still, Lily almost fell back to the ground as it moved forward and lay next to her.

Lily stepped out of the tree's shelter to let the rain smack her face, wondering if this had all been a dream. When a particularly large droplet hit her eye, she crept back under the tree, knowing in her bones that this was real. The stag looked quite peaceful as it lay gracefully on the ground. With a small smile Lily stepped over to the stag and lowered herself next to it.

"Do you love storms?" she asked it, feeling silly but still…somewhat normal.

"I do," Lily answered herself. "A lot, I always have. I feel like storms, really, really big ones, always represent big moments in my life. As a child, my sister Petunia and I would always play in them. And then the night I found out I was a witch was the same night my sister and I had a fall out – right in the middle of the storm. It's like she hates me now, all because I'm a witch. Ever since Hogwarts, she barely talks to me, unless it's to call me a freak or something. And at Hogwarts, I'll always come down right to this spot during storms…just to think. About everything. My friends, my schoolwork, my family, the war…and I have no idea why I'm telling my whole life story to a stag," Lily turned to the stag, rolling her eyes slightly. She stroked its head, and it nudged her hand with its nose.

Lily smiled again and shifted, nestling into the nook of its side. She continued stroking its back, feeling the warmth and comfort of its body. Thunder began rolling around the grounds once more and she cuddled up to the stag.

A flash of lightning illuminated the sky and Lily turned her face towards the stags; in the light, she could see a pair of beautiful hazel eyes staring intently at her. She smiled, not noticing the familiar eyes, and continued to lay with the stag as the night stormed by.

**

* * *

**  
**authors note.**  
Well there you have it, the first chapter! This is a story with three parings: LE/JP, SB/OC, and RL/OC. Their relationship will make much more sense as the story goes on. The character Edie is inspired by Edie in the Diary of a Crush books, which belong to Sarra Manning, not me! So, it's mostly Sarra Manning's girl, obviously, but different…does this make any sense? I hope so. Anyway, thanks!! 

**Peace.  
****Love.  
****Happiness.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Stormy Nights  
**_By: MissMidnightMischief  
_**In early spring, Hogwarts was constantly being showered by storms. And with the rain, each droplet would bring a new spark of love.**

Oooh, you get an early update this week! I won't be able to put it up Friday, so Thursday is the day! Here is the second chapter of Stormy Nights! It's a bit longer then the last chapter and slightly more dramatic! Yaaaayy angst! Sweet, alright… please, read, enjoy, and review!

* * *

_Stormy Nights_

**Chapter 2**

The sun shone brightly over Hogwarts, illuminating the lake. A slight breeze twisted through the grounds, which were mostly undisturbed except for two tall boys strolling with brooms over their shoulders.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Remus said to James as they reached the Quidditch pitch.

James grinned cockily at his tired friend. It was seven in the morning on Sunday and James had woken up Remus before dragging him outside. He mounted his broom and zoomed over to the Quidditch shed. Remus waited patiently as James messed around, before emerging with a bright red Quaffle.

"Let's go, mate!" James laughed, before flying into the air, whooping and showing off. Remus followed suit, though in a less obnoxious manner.

The two boys began tossing the ball back and forth, throwing it up, down, and in every direction. They casually bickered about their favorite teams before Remus caught the ball and flew over to James.

"What's up?" James asked, feigning casualty.

"Oh, shut it. Why did you really want to come out here?" he asked, giving James a look.

James zoomed off, muttering something incomprehensible.

Remus followed and caught up with his friend, who sat on his broom looking guilty.

"You already know why, don't you?" James asked quietly.

Remus sighed. "Start talking."

"I don't know what's going on with me, Remus. It's like…every time I'm not around her, I feel like I'm going stir crazy. And then when I am around her, it's like I'm actually going crazy. But in the best possible way. Every time I'm not around her, I feel like I keep seeing her hair or hearing her laugh," James began flying in circles around Remus. "Then I'm always around you and Hannah, and you're both mad for each other, and then Sirius and Edie obviously have something going, even though they drive each other nuts. And then there's me, who messes up every chance I get to make things work with Lily, while you all have happy relationships and she hates me."

Remus tossed the Quaffle gently to James and began to move as well before replying, "Alright, first off, Lily does not hate you. She seems to be getting along much better lately, for some reason beyond my knowledge." James glared at Remus as he caught the ball. "Also, things are not a "happy relationship" between Edie and Sirius. No, he hasn't told me anything he wouldn't tell you [Remus added at James' furious expression but they both have some…issues to work out before they can be together, I can tell. And thirdly, you are a great guy, James. Sometimes you may get a little out of hand, but I know that you always have your heart in it. And I think Lily sees that, too."

James paused, smiling at his friend. "Thanks, mate."

After several minutes of silent passing, James smirked and said, "So how's Hannah liking the Remus-mobile?"

Remus' face exploded with anger and embarrassment. He swore loudly before chasing James around for the next couple of hours.

* * *

When it was about nine and people had begun to stir in the castle, Remus and James headed back to the common room. After they said the password and the Fat Lady had swung open, they were met by quite a scene. 

Sirius and Edie were standing in the middle of the common room, faces furious and screams erupting from their mouths. Sirius seemed to be waving his arms around as Edie was held back by Lily and Hannah. The three girls seemed to be crying and Sirius looked like he was about to murder. James and Remus exchanged knowing looks before heading over to the commotion.

"You are SUCH a liar! You probably say that to every woman you meet, you lying bastard!" Edie was screaming. Lily whispered something in her ear, which only seemed to make her cry even more.

"What's going on?" Remus asked nervously.

"Ask – her," said Sirius in a voice that was scarily quiet and venomous. "She seems to like to run her mouth off anyway."

"Oh, just shut up! Haven't you done enough damage already?" Hannah cried, glaring at him.

"I don't even care anymore. I knew he would do this and it's my own fault that I fell for it. I just never want to see his lying face again," Edie screamed, and with a sob she ran upstairs to the girls' dorm, Lily and Hannah following close behind.

James and Remus cautiously approached Sirius. He stood silent, breathing heavily, his hands clenched in fists.

"What's going on?" Remus asked again.

Sirius growled at them before hurrying out of the common room. James and Remus looked at each other, James asking, "You or me?"

Remus nodded at him and James smiled grimly before following his friend out of the room.

Remus flopped into a chair before the fire, sighing as thoughts flung around his head. "Here we go again," he muttered to himself, before leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes.

* * *

"Shh, Edie, it's okay, you're better off without him, anyway!" Lily said soothingly, stroking her friends shaking head as the girl lay in Lily's lap. The two were sitting on Lily's bed in their dorm; Hannah finished locking the door before she joined them. Edie's arms wound around Lily's stomach and she clung to her, trembling with sobs. 

Hannah used her wand to conjure up a mug of steaming hot chocolate. "Edie, honey, drink this."

Edie sat up slowly, sniffing and rubbing her face. Strands of her blond curls stuck to her tears as she cried; she finally took the cup and took a small sip.

Lily scooted back until she was leaning against the bed board before pulling Edie up next to her. Hannah climbed over to Edie's other side and cuddled against her.

Their friend's normally sparkling eyes looks devastated, their light blue color glistening with tears.

"I just thought he meant it this time when he told me that there were no other girls," she choked out between sobs. Lily and Hannah continued rubbing her back and stroking her head, trying to calm her down.

"When did he say this?" Hannah asked softly.

"In break the other day – he took me…somewhere, and we were talking and then kissing and he would kiss me and then tell me that it was different this time and then kiss me and tell me there was no one else and then he'd kiss me and – " Edie broke into another round of sobs.

Lily and Hannah hugged Edie tighter, hating how fragile and broken their normally strong friend felt in their arms.

After a while, Edie was able to speak again. "And then today I'm just walking up to breakfast and I see him and this tramp," she spat the name, "from Ravenclaw, all wound around each other, their tongues in each others stomachs, in a corner of the hallway. I dropped my books and he looked up and I ran and he followed me and…well, you know now."

Tears were running down Lily's face as held her crying friend. "Listen, Edie…he's done this to you before and you keep putting yourself out there to get hurt. And we don't want to see that happen to you anymore, so you can't do this again, not if he can't be trusted."

Hannah added, "We all know how he is with girls – "

But she was cut off as Edie cried, "But he told me I was different!"

"Shh, I know Edie, that's why he's not good enough for you. You deserve so much more then that because you are different and you are amazing. You need to keep your chin up," and Lily tipped Edie's chin up to face her, smiling.

Edie gave her a watery smile before looking at the pair next to her. "I don't know what I'd do with out you guys."

"Yeah, we don't know either, which is why we have to keep and eye on you all the time!" Hannah laughed, and Edie gave the two a quick squeeze, and the three friends picked up their earlier conversation about Muggle bands.

* * *

Sirius and James were about half way around the lake and Sirius was still ranting about Edie. James listened calmly to his raving friend. 

I don't know what her problem is! I didn't do anything to imply that she was the only girl I'd kiss, did I?" Sirius ranted.

"Err, well, the truth is, mate, she was under the impression that you _had_. I recall her saying something along the lines of "every woman you meet", which got me thinking that you'd said she was "different", am I right?" James inquired gently.

Sirius glared at his friend, before his face turned sheepish. "Well, yeah, maybe," he admitted.

"See, girls don't like it when you say that and don't mean it, Sirius," said James playfully.

"I know, it's just…ugh, I don't even know anymore. I did mean it, though. She is different. She's...amazing. And whenever I'm with her…wow. I feel like a better person around her. Like I'm alive and finally real. All the other girls…they don't mean anything. But when I saw her flirting up Jack Johnson at breakfast this morning, I kinda…flipped out a bit," said Sirius sheepishly.

"And then went running off to find some other girl to snog. Yeah, well, sorry to say it, mate, but you did that all for no reason. See, what I'm going to assume happened is you walk into the Great Hall, see a nice-figured blond girl with curly-like hair over at the Ravenclaw table, talking to Jack Johnson," James said, and Sirius nodded. "Yeah, um, that was his girlfriend, Molly Parker, also in Ravenclaw, who is a helluva lot uglier than Edie. Edie was coming down to breakfast when she finds you snogging the first girl you could find who was up for a pull. At least, I think she was coming down. Not sure, but I wouldn't exactly know. Anywho, this was all a big misunderstanding and should probably be sorted out soon."

Sirius stared at James with a mixture of amazement and disgust. "Bloody hell. I really messed up this time, didn't I?" he asked grimly, and James nodded. "But how on earth did you know all that?"

"Woman's intuition," James replied with a shrug.

"Err, right. Do you mind if I…." Sirius trailed off, looking towards the castle.

"Go ahead, mate. Go find Edie."

* * *

Little did Sirius know, Edie and Hannah were walking through the small wood on the opposite side of the lake. Lily was in the library doing research for a History of Magic essay, so the two decided to go off and talk. 

"I still keep wishing that I would wake up from this nightmare," Edie said sadly. Hannah nodded sympathetically.

"I just can't believe that he fooled me. He probably says, "you're the only girl," to **every** girl…he probably even said it to the tramp he was with! I wish I didn't even know him."

"That's not true," Hannah said, kicking a stone along the ground. "He's a good guy, just driven by the wrong emotions – "

" – And hormones – "

" – Sometimes, and that can get the better of him. I think he really feels something for you. There's this phrase I've heard, "You never see the color of his eyes when you're not in the room," which totally describes Sirius. When you're around, it's like you bring out this whole new side in him. Honestly, I think he just messed up," said Hannah, reassuringly.

"Well if I bring out the side that makes him toss women around, I want nothing to do with him," said Edie stubbornly.

"That's _not_ what I mean. I mean that you make him a better person, and I think he knows it," replied Hannah.

"Well, whatever. I'm not ready to forgive him…." Edie trailed off.

"…Yet?" asked Hannah hopefully.

Edie sighed. "Yet."

* * *

"Goodnight, girls," Lily said quietly as Edie and Hannah headed up to the dorm. She turned back to her History of Magic paper when she heard three people join her by the fire. 

"Ooh, that was tense!" James said lightly. Lily looked up to find the three Marauders with her: Remus was next to her on the couch, James sitting on the floor by her legs, and Sirius brooding in a chair, staring into the flames.

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, setting her pen down.

"I could feel Edie's glares from across the room, that's what I'm talking about! I was afraid we'd be castrated if we came over," James said. Remus chucked a pillow at him and he caught it, laughing.

"What are you up to?" James asked Lily as Remus tried to talk to Sirius.

Lily eyed him for a moment before answering, "History of Magic. I wanted to get a head start on the paper due Friday."

James snorted, but quickly grinned at Lily's glare. "Very…err, impressive."

Lily rolled her eyes but laughed. She lowered her voice, "Hey, what's up with Sirius?"

"Ah. He's been trying to apologize to Edie all day, but she's been avoiding him. All of you have been avoiding us," James replied, watching Sirius and Remus talk quietly.

"Well, for good reason!" Lily replied indignantly.

"You don't even know how beat up he is over this. It's killing him inside," James said sadly.

Lily watched James for a moment. After a while, he turned to her and saw her looking at him. "What?" he asked, wiping his mouth in case he had any leftovers from dinner hanging around.

"Nothing…it's just, you're a really good friend, James," said Lily softly. She smiled before gathering her things and standing up.

"Goodnight boys, I need to get some rest tonight!" she headed upstairs as the guys called 'Goodnight' and headed into the dorm.

* * *

At about midnight, Lily was woken up by a crack of thunder outside. She sat up and grinned before grabbing her white jacket and trainers once more. 

With wand in hand, she headed back outside to the freshly started storm. As Lily hurried over to the tree, lighting shot through the sky, illuminating the figure of her stag, standing there, waiting for her.

Lily grinned when she reached the stag, before giving it a quick hug. "Hey," she whispered in its ear. For some reason she felt so comfortable with it. The stag lay down and Lily quickly curled up next to it.

"So…there's this boy I know," Lily started, and the stag seemed to perk up a bit. "He used to be really arrogant and obnoxious and I always thought I hated him. And then this year, everything changed. We started hanging around him and his friends – the Marauders, they call themselves – instead of just fighting with them. Eventually his friend and mine began dating, so I'm around him a lot. And I'm just noticing that he's…really different. But it's nice; very nice. He seems so much more mature now, not to mention he's very attractive. It's like everything is changing but I have no idea how I'm reacting. I doubt you'll understand, but it's nice to talk to someone about it without being judged."

Lily sighed happily and nestled her head into the stag's side and closed her eyes. Soon her breathing became steady as she slept against the warm body beneath the shelter of the night.

The stag lowered its head and it too fell asleep to the sound of the rain.

* * *

After many hours, the stag woke up to find the storm slowing. Dawn seemed to be breaking on the horizon. He looked at Lily sleeping peacefully before sliding gently out from under her. James transformed out of his Anamagi form and picked Lily up, holding her light body close to his chest. 

He received a very curious look from the Fat Lady as he entered through the portrait hole. He walked over to the couch and lay her down gently, before brushing his lips to her forehead and heading up to his dorm until morning.

* * *

**  
authors note.**  
Alright, that wasn't _much_ longer, but I'm pleased with it! If some parts seemed bizarre, I'm sorry, I was having some difficulty. But I think I got what I wanted across, so now all that's left is for you to review! 

Special thanks to the reviewers who made me smile..._Black. And. White. Converse. _**&&**_ allie kat5_. Oh, and if you are interested in beta-ing, just PM me and let me know! Thanks again!!

**Peace.  
****Love.  
****Happiness.**


	3. Chapter 3

  
**Stormy Nights**  
_By: MissMidnightMischief  
_**In early spring, Hogwarts was constantly being showered by storms. And with the rain, each droplet would bring a new spark of love.**

Yaaaaaay third chapter! I'm really excited with how this is going right now, really really! Anyway, I'm sorry if this seems less Lily/James and more Sirius/Edie, but hopefully this chapter will fix that. Please, read, enjoy, and review!

_Disclaimer: I own nothing you know._

* * *

_Stormy Nights_

**Chapter 3**

A week later, the weather at Hogwarts was strangely warmer then it should be. On a particularly sunny Saturday morning, several seventh year students were enjoying the weather by the lake.

"I can't believe how nice the weather has been lately!" Lily exclaimed happily, laying her towel along the plush grass. She pulled off her blue sundress, revealing a white halter bathing suit, before stretching out on the towel.

James tore his eyes away from Lily's flat, tan stomach and looked over the lake. The water shimmered in the sunlight and he caught sight of his reflection standing next to Remus in crimson swim shorts and a white tee.

Remus had just pulled off his black shirt and headed towards the lake. James followed suit and leaped into the water; when he emerged, he shook his hair around like a dog, splashing the two girls sprawled next to the lake.

"James Potter, cut it out!" Lily cried, sitting up and glaring at him.

Hannah stood up from her towel and joined the boys, shedding her yellow skirt and green tank to reveal a light pink bikini.

She dove into the water and swam over to Remus, surfacing only when she was directly before him.

"Hey you," Remus said quietly, grinning as he rested his forehead against hers. Hannah grinned and wrapped her legs around his waist. She leaned in for a kiss before dunking his head under and swimming away, laughing.

"Come on, Lily! Why would you come to the lake if you weren't going to swim?" James asked, standing in the shallow water.

Lily forced her eyes away from James' glistening, Quidditch toned abs before standing up, grumbling. _Well, obviously, to work on my tan. Sweet Merlin, boys don't know anything._

Reluctantly, Lily walked over to the water. She stood on the edge, letting the slight waves wash over her feet. Several meters out, Hannah was being tickled by a laughing Remus and James. When Hannah shrieked Lily's name giddily, Lily knew she had to help her friend.

By the time Lily reached her friends, they had subsided to merely floating and staring at the sky. Lily tilted her head upwards. "What are you guys looking at?" she asked, snickering slightly.

"Shut it, Lils, you're ruining the moment," James snapped, though it was obvious he was joking.

Lily's stomach flipped as James called her "Lils". She ignored the feeling and folded her arms across her chest, pouting. "You made me come out here and all you're doing is being majorly boring!"

Remus righted himself and turned to Lily. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

Lily was pondering when suddenly Hannah leaped up, grinning. "Let's play chicken!"

Lily's stomach dropped. _Oh no, ohhh no. No way, not happening, oh dear…_

James joined in. "You aren't talking about the mammal, are you?"

"No, and it's a bird. I'm talking about the game! It's a muggle thing, which is why you probably don't know it. But you get in pairs and then one person, generally the girl, will get on the other person's shoulders. Then you fight the other pair by trying to knock them off. It's quite fun, actually!" Hannah finished, grinning.

"I'm in!" Remus shrugged.

"Yeah, sounds good enough," James said, smiling. "Lily?"

"Um…" Lily gulped.

* * *

"Why did you drag me here, Sirius?" Edie said quietly, looking around at the room that had started – and ended – her latest…issue. 

"Edie, please, you have to listen to me. I've been trying to talk to you for the past week and all you do is ignore me. Can't you just give me a chance?" Sirius pleaded, turned to Edie with desperation in his eyes.

"You've had your chances, Black," Edie spat, staring at him coldly.

Sirius winced, but stepped closer. "Edie…I'm begging you."

Edie stared into Sirius' eyes before looking away. "Fine. You have five minutes."

Sirius began pacing. "Look, I don't know how many times I have to tell you how sorry I am. The only reason I did it in the first place was because I thought you were flirting with someone else. But then that turned out to be someone else in the first place, so what I had done was for no reason at all. And I lost you because of a stupid mistake I made by overreacting and making judgements without getting the facts. And now you're acting so cold to me and I feel like our relationship is a yo-yo because we keep getting dragged back and forth. And I can't handle it anymore."

"You can't handle it?!" Edie cried incredulously. "What about me?! I'm always the one getting dragged around. The one you come to when you're bored of your latest fling. And every time you tell me that it'll be different, every time you're kissing me, the next thing I know it you're ignoring me and snogging some random tramp. I'm tired of being your little play toy, I'm tired of you using me and then flirting with every other girl you see."

"I'm just trying to make you jealous, Edie!" Sirius cried, his expression painful.

"Jealous!" Edie exclaimed, tears running down her face. "I don't want to be jealous! I don't want to be the fling you come running to when no one else will take you," her voice shook as she spoke. Sirius moved closer to her. "I want to be the only one in your eyes, in your life, in your arms. I want to be the one you kiss and hold and love. I want to be the only one, don't you see that? I'm sorry if I'm too needy and I don't want to be a no-strings-attached girl. How can I help it that I'm totally and completely in love with you?"

Edie stopped, tears falling silently down her face. She watched Sirius for some reaction – any reaction.

Sirius moved closer and held her face tenderly in his hands. He brushed her tears with his thumbs and looked deep into her eyes. "Edie, I always knew you were the only one for me. No matter who I was with, you were the one I was thinking of. I don't know why I did what I did, but that doesn't matter now."

He stepped even closer and Edie held her breath.

"It doesn't matter because I'm in love with you too."

Sirius closed the space between them and captured Edie's lips in the most passionate, tender, desperate, romantic kiss she'd ever experienced. Her tears dropped faster as she kissed back, running her hands through his hair as he held her close, never wanting the moment to end; never wanting to leave Sirius' arms. Wanting to stay there…forever.

* * *

"Hello, Lily?" James repeated. 

"I don't know, it might be dangerous…in the lake…."Lily trailed off lamely.

"What, are you afraid you're gonna lose?" James teased, smirking.

Lily's temper flared. "Pft, no! Bring it on!"

"Good, cause you're on my team!" James laughed, before lifting Lily onto his shoulders.

"Wha – hey!" Lily spluttered, before realizing that there was no way she'd be on Remus' shoulders. Not with Hannah around.

Hannah giggled as Remus lifted her onto his broad shoulders.

"We got this, babe," Remus said, grinning.

The fights begun, and the two laughing teams started playing for the best out of seven. After six games, the pairs were tied.

Lily and Hannah mounted their men for the final time and the game begun. Hannah quickly got the lead, but a determined Lily pushed back just as hard. She gained moment and gave Hannah a final shove, grinning as her friend lost her balance and splashed into the water.

A look of surprise crossed Lily's face as she realized that she was falling backwards. Before she knew it, James had realized she was falling and reached back to grab her waist. He swung her around to the front, holding her safely above the water in his arms.

Lily was about to protest when she found herself mesmerized by a pair of golden hazel eyes. She felt her body sink into James as she stared, a dreamy smile on her face.

A splash in the distance woke Lily out of her stupor. When she realized where she was, she blushed furiously and cleared her throat.

James blushed slightly and set Lily down into the water. She had barely gotten in before the bell started to ring in the distance.

Lily hurried to the shore and climbed out of the water, grabbing her wand and performing a drying charm. Hannah joined her and did the same. Lily, flustered, pulled on her sundress and gathered her things.

The boys finally made it out of the water, James hobbling for he had stepped on a rock on the way. The foursome then headed up to lunch.

Once in the Great Hall, Lily hurried ahead, searching for Edie. The boys went up the other side of the table, heading for Sirius. Hannah caught up to Lily and held her back.

"What was that all about?" she asked, a smirk on her face.

"Nothing," Lily said hurriedly. "Have you seen Edie?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

Hannah grinned. "Yep!" she pointed towards the table.

Lily followed her gaze and saw Edie sitting…right with the Marauders. She stifled a groan before heading over, plopping down next to her best friend.

Throughout the meal, Remus and Hannah sat together cuddling and it appeared that Sirius and Edie were holding hands. Lily avoided James' eyes for the whole meal. As they were walking out, Lily held Edie back.

"What is going on with you and Sirius?" she whispered harshly.

Edie's eyes became dreamy as she told her experience from that morning. "So now he says we're officially together. And he actually means it this time, look!"

Edie held out her hand, revealing a sparkling silver band.

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!?" Lily cried, looking shocked.

"Lily, shush! No, we aren't. Duh, it's not even on the correct finger. But it's a friendship ring, and he's got one too, and he says it's a promise. I'm not sure for what, though." Edie shrugged, then smiled and linked arms with Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes but joined her friend as they walked back to the common room.

* * *

Later that night, Lily sat awake in her bed. Thoughts were swarming in her head, distracting her from sleep. After a while, she realized they had been distracting her so much that she hadn't even realized it was raining out. 

Her heart lifting, Lily crept out of bed once more, finding her trainers and jacket near her bed post. She grabbed her wand and started to head out of the dorm, when a voice stopped her.

"Lily? What are you doing?"

Lily turned. It was Hannah. She was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes and shifting her pink cami so it fit properly. Lily tried to think fast, "Um, going to the bathroom?"

It worked. "Ah, okay. I'm gonna go dream about marrying Remus. Night Lils!" Hannah said with a smile, before promptly falling back onto her pillow.

_Lils_. There it was again, the name that had been haunting her during the night – or rather, the man who called her it.

Lily made it to the grounds with no other problem, but had heard Peeves close behind her at one point. As she made her way to the tree through the rain, she grinned as she saw a large shadow waiting beneath it. Lily ran over to her stag, curling up next to it and hugging its neck as she lay in the rain.

"Boy, do I have a lot to say tonight! Remember the boy I was telling you about? The one who seems so different this year? It's about him…James…."

Lily lay quiet for a moment, a smile on her face.

"Truth is," she began quietly, "I think I love him."

Lily was jostled abruptly as the stag stood up and bolted into the woods. She sat up and looked around, bewildered. _What is going on? _she wondered.

A new feeling, stranger to her nights with the stag, was filling her up – hurt. She didn't know why it had run off…it all didn't make sense.

The rain was slowing as Lily made her way back towards the doors. Before going inside, she turned back to the tree.

A dark shadow was sitting underneath, still in the silent night. Her stag.

With a sigh, Lily turned and headed back inside.

* * *

**authors note.  
**Mmm, yay! Another chapter! Wahoo angst! I'm very very pleased with this chapter, it turned out just how I hoped it too, even though it was a bit shorter. The next chapter will be the final chapter, so be ready! I'll be updating it either this Friday or next Monday, depending on reviews. I only updated on Monday this week because I couldn't get to a computer over the weekend. Please review, and thanks for everything!! 

Special thanks to the reviewer who made me smile..._Alaskan Chick_. Oh, and if you are interested in beta-ing, just PM me and let me know please! Thanks again!

**Peace.  
Love.  
Happiness.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Stormy Nights**  
_By: MissMidnightMischief  
_**In early spring, Hogwarts was constantly being showered by storms. And with the rain, each droplet would bring a new spark of love.**

Ooh, the last part of this story has now arrived! I'm sort of sad to see it go, but I'm fairly proud that I actually finished a multi-chapter story. Even though it is only four chapters, it's a start! I hope this is everything you want it to be: Please, read, enjoy, and review!

Special thanks to the reviewers who made me smile..._BrazillianPrincess_. Thanks again!

_Disclaimer: I own nothing you know._

* * *

_Stormy Nights_

**Chapter 4**

The next morning at breakfast, both Hannah & Remus and Sirius & Edie were snuggled next to each other, feeding each other scones and holding hands and such. Lily and James sat across from each other, both feeling quite awkward.

Lily did everything she could to avoid James' eyes while James merely watched her, hoping everything would work out in the end.

Dumbledore stood at the end of the meal and announced to the students that a Hogsmeade trip was scheduled for the upcoming weekend. Excited murmurs swept through the hall as he dismissed them to their next class.

"So we're all going, right?" Hannah asked excitedly.

"Psh, of course!" Sirius said, grinning, before slinging an arm around Edie and kissing her swiftly on the lips.

As the group began to get up, James started towards Lily. "Hey, Lily, I wanted to – "

Lily, who was pretending not to hear him, hurried off towards Charms. James' face fell as he watched her retreating figure before following his friends out of the Great Hall.

* * *

After Charms and a particularly hard Potions class, the Gryffindor's had break. James and Sirius headed to the library to finish up their essay for McGonagall. 

They settled into a table in the back, lowering their voice to a whisper to avoid confrontation from the hawk-like Madam Pince.

"Man, Prongs…you have no idea how great it is to finally be with Edie. Properly, I mean. I don't understand why I was so weird before…I guess I was afraid she wouldn't take me. But its so much better being able to snog her all the time rather then – hey, mate, what's bothering you?" Sirius inquired, as James had just slammed his quill down with a huff.

"Nothing, I just don't get what we're supposed to be saying in this essay. C'mon, let's go find Remus," James said swiftly, standing up and grabbing his bag.

A bewildered Sirius followed, wondering why James needed help for his best subject.

They wandered through the corridors casually until they heard a whimper from a round the corner. They turned – and found shock.

The whimper had come from Hannah's mouth, though muffled for Remus had his arms protectively around her as they stood against a wall. They were staring at the scene across from them in horror in disgust.

A group of six large, burly Slytherins formed a half-circle around the wall, their wands out. They were pointing at Edie, who was pinned against the wall by none other then Lucius Malfoy.

Edie desperately cried for help, but her cries were almost unheard for her mouth was covered by Malfoy's lips. He shoved her back into the brick and she punched him in the stomach, but he still kept his body firmly against her.

The fury from Sirius' body was so extreme, James could feel it radiating next to him. He soon felt the same as he noticed Lily sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Pulling their wands out, the two sprinted forward, cursing at every man they could. By the time they reached Malfoy, only two others remained.

James dove over to Lily and began fussing over her, trying to find what was wrong.

Sirius' eyes were almost black as he hexed the final two men. The Slytherins on the ground looked as if they had seen much better days.

Eyes blazing, Sirius pointed his wand a Lucius, who was now standing in front of Edie, facing Sirius.

"Get away from my girl," Sirius warned in a deadly quiet voice, "Or I can promise that you'll look worse then all of these gits combined."

Malfoy smirked, "Is that what you think?"

Sirius bolted forward, shoving his wand against Malfoy's throat. "That's what I **know**," he hissed into his ear.

Malfoy looked into Sirius' furious eyes and for a moment, he looked frightened. His cool demeanor returned, however, as he replied smoothly, "You won't be getting away with this."

Malfoy stepped away from Edie, who let out a strangled cry and dove into Sirius' arms. With his wand still pointing at Malfoy, Sirius said, "Go ahead, get me detention – I don't care. Just stay away from Edie and I won't be forced to do my worst."

Malfoy glared one last time at Sirius before turning away and stomping off.

As Edie sobbed into Sirius' chest, he muttered soothing words into her ear, stroking her hair. Remus and Hannah joined them, Hannah looking pale and shaking. James was knelt on the ground, holding Lily in his arms. His expression was unreadable as he muttered, "_Ennervate_."

Lily's eyes fluttered open and she looked around. She saw Edie crying into Sirius, Remus holding Hannah, and then looked up and saw James. She whimpered slightly before getting up shakily with James' help. As the six walked to the common room, Lily leaned into James' chest and sighed as he wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

Remus sighed. "We were just walking to lunch when we heard footsteps behind us. We turned and saw Malfoy with six of his friends. Their wands were out and Malfoy started for Edie. We tried to stop them, which is how Lily got cursed. Hannah and I knew we had to back off otherwise we'd have been in the Hospital Wing for at least a week. 

"I guess they forgot about us, cause they didn't even look our way as we stood aside. Malfoy pinned Edie against the wall and the other gits surrounded them with their wands out. Hannah and I didn't know what they were going to do. That's when he tried to kiss her. Edie pushed him away but he hit her across the face and kissed her again, pinning her arms back. With six other guys, who, by the way, weren't as stupid as they looked, and Lily unconscious, we didn't know what to do. We were afraid to take them on by ourselves," Remus finished quietly.

"But we weren't," whispered James hoarsely, glancing over at Lily.

"But you weren't. We're lucky you guys came when you did," Remus told him, nodding.

Suddenly Edie stood up. "I'm starving. Let's go to lunch."

Sirius, who had been holding her, looked up at Edie. She gave him a look before turning to the girls.

Lily and Hannah stood up as well. As Hannah and Edie left, Lily turned around.

"You coming?" Lily inquired, looking at James.

Sirius made to stand, but James pulled him back down. "We'll come down later," he said, sharing a glance with his friends.

Lily's face fell, but she nodded lightly. "Yeah," she added softly.

As she left the portrait hole, Remus and Sirius turned to James in mild shock.

"Lily just basically asked you to have lunch with her, and you say, "We'll come down later"! What is wrong with you?" Sirius said in disbelief.

"Just come with me," James replied, before leading his friends to the library.

* * *

As the Marauders neared the back of the vast expanse of books, Remus and Sirius assumed they were going to the restricted section. That's why they were surprised once more as James turned a sharp left. 

"Flowers Advanced; Scents of the World…." Sirius read the titles of books they passed before looking at James in repulsion. "What on earth are you on about?"

Remus snickered as James slowed.

James nervous wrung his fingers together. "I, uh…" he paused, taking a breath. "I'm in love with Lily."

Remus and Sirius just stared.

After a minute of nervous silence, Sirius said simply, "We know."

James laughed. "No, you see, before I didn't know I was in love with her. I just figured I was intrigued, you know, since she never had any interest in me. But after…well, I suppose I should tell you something."

James filled them in on how he'd been visiting Lily as a stag whenever it rained.

"So last night, when I came, Lily just comes running over to me and tells me that she loves James – me. So then I, being the prat that I am, go running into the forest, not believing its real. Plus, I'm pretty sure I would've tried to snog her right then and there if I hadn't left, I was so bloody excited. Then when I came back, Lily was gone.

"It was then that I realized that I had to show her I loved her. And that's why we're here."

Remus and Sirius were simply grinning at him.

"What?" James asked, smiling nervously. They just shook their heads and began to research…

* * *

James sat on his bed, his head in his hands, pondering over his plan. Moonlight and the sound of Sirius' snores filled the dormitory. 

The quiet was interrupted by the alarm on James' watch going off. He sighed and stood up.

"I'll take that as a sign to go," he muttered before going over to his wardrobe.

He pulled on a pair of khaki shorts and a navy blue button up. He decided the shirt looked too dressy so he threw on a white tee under and rolled up the sleeves slightly, leaving the top few buttons undone.

"Here goes nothing," said James, mussing up his hair and straightening his glasses before heading out of the dorm.

* * *

Lily leaned against the wall of the Astronomy Tower rooftop, breathing in the sweet air. She could tell that a storm was coming. She'd decided to come up to the roof to wait for it to rain before heading down to the tree. 

_I wonder where my stag is now_, Lily thought as she looked over the indigo-bathed grounds. The silence was calming, and there was a slight bite to the air. She pulled her white jacket tighter around her yellow sundress (which she had thrown on in the thought that it'd be a balmier night) before she found herself drifting into a daydream…

_Lily was standing on a balcony in a white halter dress, her long hair brushing her back in the cool ocean breeze. She looked out over the sunset and the waves, a content smile on her face._

_A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. She grinned and leaned back into his toned chest, feeling him nestle into her hair. Lily turned around in his arms and looked up into his deep hazel eyes, reaching up to tousle his jet-black hair._

"_You came," she said simply, smiling._

"_Of course," James replied, pulling Lily closer._

"_I can't leave a pretty lady waiting," he murmured softly as he tipped up her chin and pressed his lips against hers. _

_After a moment, he pulled away. "I love you, L – "_

" – Lily!"

Lily whipped around and felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw James standing in the doorway to the roof.

"James…what are you doing here?" she asked, secretly admiring the way his navy shirt and khaki shorts contrasted with his gorgeous eyes and tousled hair.

"I…I have to tell you something," he said, walking slowly towards her.

Lily's eyes followed his every movement before he stopped before her.

"I think you need to see something to understand this," he said, staring intently at Lily with –

his hazel eyes.

_Those _hazel eyes!

Lily gasped.

"It's been you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, even though she already knew the answer.

James looked down at her, smiling slightly. "Yeah, I'm the stag."

Her eyes brimming with tears, Lily asked, "But why?"

James leaned against the wall next to Lily and sighed. "Well, you know how Remus is a werewolf, right?"

Lily nodded. _Of course, he told me in fifth year. But what does that have to do with James?_

"Well, we knew that he was beating himself up over it. And we knew we had to do something to make it better. So in fifth year, we learned how to be Anamagi. Sirius turns into a big, black dog, and I become a stag. We're unregistered, obviously, but every full moon we go with Remus. Apparently it sort of…tames him. It's been a lot easier for him since we can go with him.

"And, well, I knew you always go out during a storm, and I wanted to be with you, so I came down as a stag and stayed with you. Every time it stormed since the first night, I had to come down," James told her, his voice cracking slightly. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

Lily looked away, her face glistening slightly with tears. "But why?" she whispered again.

James sighed. "No matter where I went, you were there. I couldn't get you out of my head. I felt like I already knew you, even though we never got along well and didn't talk much. Ever since that first night, I realized that there was so much more to you…and I wanted to know it. Since then, I began to notice that I spent a lot of time with you. I learned that it wasn't enough. I didn't know how much being around you was affecting me…until I noticed that I couldn't bare it when you were away. I always wished that we were together. You became a part of me, Lils. I started to sleep, dream, think, breath – you." James stopped and stepped in front of Lily. He put his hands on her waist and smiled.

"Lily, even if it took me forever to realize it, I know its true."

Lily's heart stopped.

"I love you."

And James kissed her.

Lily pulled him closer, running her fingers through his deliciously soft hair, his hands caressing her back. They wound together, deepening the kiss. _How could I have lived without this_, Lily wondered. He kissed her breathless until she couldn't think straight, before pulling gently away.

"James…." she said, whispering into his ear, "I love you, too."

James felt like his heart was exploding. He grinned from ear to ear and lifted Lily up, holding her tight and swinging her around.

He slowed down and she wrapped her legs around his waist, grinning at him. James felt woozy at the sight of her beauty. He pulled her closer. "I have to show you something," he murmured, breathing in the minty-spice smell of her hair.

He felt Lily nod against his chest and she dropped down, grabbing his hand.

James led her to the west wall of the tower and tapped it with his wand. At the touch, a stream of shimmering, white crystals (though they seemed like they were clouds) poured from the wall, twisting down faintly to the ground. Lily gasped in amazement as she walked towards it.

"What is it?" she breathed in wonder.

James smirked. "It's a slide."

Lily turned to James in surprise. "What's it made of?"

James laughed, pulling her close again. "That's my girl, so curious."

Lily blushed, smiling into his chest.

"Well, let's go!" James exclaimed, stepping away from Lily and dropping onto the start of the slide.

"Huh?" she cried, laughing.

"Come on!" James grinned. Lily shook her head, but smiled and sat down behind James.

James pushed off the rood and began to glide swiftly down the slide. Lily's laughter trailed behind him as she too made her way to the bottom. He waited patiently as Lily slide down before touching the plush grass.

"Just a second," James told her before transforming into his Anamagi form.

Lily smiled softly and walked over to him. She stroked his head softy before telling him, "You know, I don't think I'll be allowed to see you anymore. My boyfriend won't allow it."

James' eyes lit up before he tried to tell her to get on. Lily seemed to get the message as she climbed onto his back.

James galloped off into the forest swiftly, Lily clinging to his neck, her deep red hair blowing behind her. After several minutes of silent riding into the night, James slowed down. Lily slid off of him and James transformed back.

"Alright, now close your eyes," he told her. Lily obliged, and James took her hand before walking forward.

As they walked, Lily felt very curious as to walking forward. Suddenly the smell of rain, early morning, and freshly cut grass filled her nose. The ground beneath her felt softer and she could hear –

– running water?

"Can I please open my eyes now?" Lily asked, bouncing on her toes. She heard James laugh.

"Yeah," he said.

Lily opened her eyes and gasped in amazement. They were standing a beautiful clearing. The trees around it were like willows, with gorgeous white flowers hanging from them. The air seemed to have a vibrant glow to it. Tiny fairies flew around in the air above them, illuminating the clearing. The ground was covered with white and yellow lilies, red roses, and indigo daffodils. A small stone path led to a little open space in the flowers. Next to the open area was a medium sized pond, and pouring into that was a beautiful waterfall.

"James, what is all this?" Lily asked, stepping slowly down the path to the little clearing.

James came up behind her and joined her in the clearing. "I did it for you, so you never forget that I love you."

Lily turned to him, her face positively glowing. "That is the nicest, sweetest, sappiest and most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me!" she cried, before jumping onto him. She kissed him swiftly, and he grinned against her lips. She pulled away and slid down, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"But next time, just kiss me!" Lily laughed.

James grinned and pecked her on the lips.

"Will do, love. Will do."

As James captured Lily's lips with his own, the rain began to fall all around them. Lily wrapped her legs around James once more and kissed him feverishly as the rain fell faster.

It was just as she had said.

The biggest things always happened on those wonderful, stormy nights.

**Fin.**

* * *

**authors note.  
**Yay! It's finally finished! I'm so totally pleased with how this turned out. I hope you enjoyed it; I'm sort of sad to see it go! I may write an epilogue or sequel, depending on how much time and interest I have. I'm going to try to write some more stories as well, probably doing the same thing where I finish it first and then post it every week. I have a few ideas in mind, so you should be hearing from me again soon. For now, _thank you_. –Kaelei 

**Peace.  
Love.  
Hapiness.**


End file.
